ALIVE:
B01: Yoshio Akamatsu
G01: Mizuho Inada
B02: Keita Iijima
G02: Yukie Utsumi
B03: Tatsumichi Oki
G03: Megumi Eto
B04: Toshinori Oda
G04: Sakura Ogawa
B05: Shogo Kawada
G05: Izumi Kanai
B06: Kazuo Kiriyama
G06: Yukiko Kitano
B07: Yoshitoki Kuninobu
G07: Yumiko Kusaka
B08: Yoji Kuramoto
G08: Kayoko Kotohiki
B09: Hiroshi Kuronaga
G09: Yuko Sakaki
B10: Ryuhei Sasagawa
G10: Hirono Shimizu
B11: Hiroki Sugimura
G11: Mitsuko Souma
B12: Yutaka Seto
G12: Haruka Tanizawa
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi
G13: Takako Chigusa
B14: Sho Tsukioka
G14: Mayumi Tendo
B15: Shuya Nanahara
G15: Noriko Nakagawa
B16: Kazushi Niida
G16: Yuka Nakagawa
B17: Mitsuru Numai
G17: Satomi Noda
B18: Tadakatsu Hatagami
G18: Fumiyo Fujiyoshi
B19: Shinji Mimura
G19: Chisato Matsui
B20: Kyoichi Motobuchi
G20: Kaori Minami
B21: Kazuhiko Yamamoto
G21: Yoshimi Yahagi
Pre-Game. 42 Remain.
---
His eyes bulging with anger, Yoshitoki stumbled out of his seat. The happy-go-lucky, easygoing kid who Shuya had laughed with, shared a room with, grown up with, was gone, replaced by something ancient and bestial. Yoshitoki's breath whistled out from between bared teeth, and with a shaky step forward he prepared to lunge at the man who had raped Ms. Anno. That asshole, Kamon.
Suddenly someone rushed past him, moving with deadly purpose. Yoshitoki froze, shock instantly dissipating his anger like water on a flame.
It was Shuya.
His handsome face was nearly unrecognizable, lips pulled back in a scream, cheeks flushed, muscles taut with fury. Even though he was seated two rows behind Yoshitoki, Shuya had easily managed to rush to the front of the room before Yoshitoki could even open his mouth. He always had been the fastest guy in gym class, after all.
Shuya was at the front row now. He jumped, planting one foot on Keita Iijima's desk, using it as a springboard to leap at Kamon. It was all happening so quickly, yet for Yoshitoki time seemed to slow to a crawl as he watched his best friend charge toward the man who had violated the closest thing they had to a mother. Shuya was suspended in mid-leap, his scream echoing off the paneled walls. Kamon's eyes twinkled dangerously as the boy flew toward him, but he made no effort to move. From behind Kamon, however, came a quick synchronization of movement.
The three soldiers simultaneously raised their submachine guns.
Shuya! Yoshitoki screamed inwardly, unable to open his mouth. To his left he heard one of the girls let out a shriek. Oh God, it's all happening so fast---
Shuya saw the soldiers move, but it was too late; he was unable to stop his leap. The middle soldier stepped into the path of Shuya's jump, between the boy and Kamon, and raised his gun---
NO!
…driving the butt of it directly into Shuya's stomach. Shuya let out a surprised grunt and seemed to fold in half in midair, collapsing to the floor at the soldier's feet.
The room was silent, everyone unconsciously holding their breath. Without saying a word the soldier stepped back into formation behind Kamon. The Battle Royale host moved forward, nudging Shuya with his foot.
"Now wasn't that a stupid thing to do?" he cooed. Shuya, all the breath driven from his lungs by the soldier's blow, could only gasp in response. Kamon drew back his foot and delivered a practiced kick to Shuya just below the ribs, causing the boy to double up in agony. Kamon launched a second kick at his shoulder, flipping him over on his back. Shuya stared up at the ceiling, his eyes rolling wildly as he struggled to breathe.
"Leave him alone!" one of the girls yelled. His voice still seemingly paralyzed, Yoshitoki turned toward that sweetly familiar voice.
It was Noriko. She too stood at her desk, her eyes burning and tears running down her cheeks. She's beautiful even when she's crying, Yoshitoki thought stupidly. He had liked Noriko for over a year now, but had been too chicken to ever say anything to her. And though she was very pretty in an ordinary kind of way, it wasn't her looks that had attracted him to her; it was something else, something that Yoshitoki could never properly articulate. Kamon glanced at Noriko for a moment, nonplussed, before leaning over Shuya.
"Can you understand me, Shuya?" he whispered. Shuya wheezed.
"Good boy! Now understand this: I really don't want to have to kill you. I get pay deducted for every student that dies before the game begins." In a single, smooth moment, Kamon drew a pistol from his suit and placed it at Shuya's temple.
"But…it's been known to happen before!" he giggled. "Now, if you so much as speak until you leave this room, first I'll kill your friend…"
He quickly pointed the pistol at Yoshitoki, and then at Noriko. Her cheeks glowed as if she'd been slapped, and she sat down heavily.
"…then your little girlfriend. Then you. I don't fuck around, my friend. Are we clear?"
Shuya was beginning to regain his breath. Struggling to speak, he managed to cough out, "Fuck. You."
Kamon laughed again. "That's the spirit! Now, Mr. Kuninobu, come help your friend back to his seat so we can continue. Unless you have something else you wish to say? Something about me fucking my mother, was it?"
Yoshitoki felt that unfamiliar hate bubble up in him again as Kamon taunted him, but he fought to suppress it. He had to think of Shuya. And Noriko. Feeling numb, he broke his paralysis and walked to the front of the class, helping Shuya to his feet. Shuya said nothing, but leaned heavily against Yoshitoki as they both returned to their seats.
"Now where were we?" Kamon addressed the class. "Ah, yes, let me explain the rules for those of you unfamiliar. It's extremely simple: all you have to do is kill one another. That's it. The final survivor gets to return home with a lifetime pension and an autographed certificate from the Dictator! Awesome, huh? Now naturally we want you to be yourselves, but ratings are important, so don't be afraid to get a little creative with your kills!"
One of the girls started crying again.
"You'll each be randomly assigned a bag containing a weapon, a map, a compass, a watch, and some food and water. No two weapons will be the same; some are really good, and others are…really bad. This is to help eliminate natural advantages that some of you may have. So basically---"
On cue, the door swung open and three more soldiers entered, pushing a cart laden with black bags.
"---you'll each grab a bag off the top of the pile on your way out. I recommend opening it up once you get outside to check what weapon you received," he smiled. "When you get outside, the game will start immediately, and that brings me onto the next part: the island." Kamon cleared his throat, and one of the soldiers behind him reached up above the chalkboard, lowering a map. This was not the world map that most classrooms would have; rather it was a map of a small, oblong island. It was marked off in a grid, labeled A through J along the side, and one through ten across the top. "You'll be released one by one, starting with Boy #1, Yoshio Akamatsu…"
At hearing his name, Yoshio, a large and timid kid who got picked on by some of the other boys, looked completely terrified.
"...then Girl #1, then Boy #2, etc. One person will be released every minute out into the island. We've evacuated all the people living here, so feel free to stay in the houses, though there won't be any electricity or running water." He pointed to G7. "Here is the school, where we are now. Five minutes after the last person leaves the school, this area will become a 'Danger Zone'. Now what is a Danger Zone, you might ask? It is an area that you are forbidden to enter. I'll be making announcements every six hours listing which of you have been killed, and along with that I'll also tell you which areas will become Danger Zones in the next few hours. No one would die if everyone just hid out, so the addition of new Danger Zones will keep you on the move, and also shrink the amount of space in which you can move, you see? And those collars you're all wearing?"
At this nearly everyone in the class unconsciously reached up to touch their own collar.
"If you are still in an area when it becomes a Danger Zone, or if you move into one, your collar with detonate. Boom." He paused here, savoring the looks of shock and horror that crossed the students' faces. "And these collars are very hi-tech. They measure your vital signs, letting us know that you're still alive. Don't even think of trying to remove them, either; attempting to tamper with the collars will cause them to automatically detonate." Though almost everyone knew about the program collars already, several of those who had been fidgeting with their collars drew their hands back as if burnt.
"They're also waterproof and shockproof, so you're stuck with them until you're declared the winner…or you're dead. Speaking of, the game has a time limit. Three days. If, at the end of three days more than one person is still alive, then we will transmit a signal to everyone's collar, and they'll all explode. No one wins. And don't go trying to dig a hole to hide in or anything stupid like that. The signal is strong and it will find you, guaranteed. I doubt it will come to that, though. Because remember this, kids: even if you aren't willing to do it, there will be those of you who are all too ready to kill if it means saving their own lives. So be careful about teaming up, hmm? Because in the end there can only be one winner, so…it's you or them."
That did it. Several students looked nervously around at their friends, frantically considering which of them would be trustworthy and which would stab them in the back. As their eyes met, they quickly looked away, but the paranoia had already begun. Yukie Utsumi saw others doing this in her peripheral vision and suddenly felt sick, but said nothing.
"Now everyone take a pencil and a piece of paper out of your desk." There was a scrabbling as everyone numbly complied.
"Now I want you to write the following: we will kill each other. Write it several times, please; it helps the message to sink in!"
And so they did.
Yuichiro hesitantly moved his pencil across the paper, overwhelmed by the unreality of the situation. He was thinking about what he would do once he got outside. Kamon said the game would begin as soon as they left, but would anyone really kill each other? He though about the class thugs: Kazuo Kiriyama, Mitsuru Numai, Ryuhei Sasagawa, Sho Tsukioka, and Hiroshi Kuronaga. Would they be willing to kill? He glanced over at Kazuo, who calmly tore a corner off his sheet of paper and subtly passed it back to Hiroshi Kuronaga, who read it and nodded.
Yuichiro gulped.
The best thing to do, of course, would be to meet up with Shuya. And Noriko. He considered for a moment. They had the same student number; Shuya was Boy #15 and Noriko was Girl #15. Could he get them to join up? Yuichiro looked back at Shuya, who was sitting stiffly at his desk, a furious expression on his face. Yuichiro caught his glance and nodded his head toward Noriko, his eyes pleading. Shuya nodded back, understanding immediately; he knew how Yuichiro felt about Noriko. Yuichiro turned back to face the front. Now I just need to figure out how to meet up with them, he thought unhappily, and continued writing.
After they had all laid down their pencils, Kamon spoke again for the final time.
"It's midnight now, so let's begin. When I call your name you'll need to come forward, grab a bag off the top of the cart, and leave. The hallway should take you directly outside. Remember: the game will begin as soon as you leave. I wouldn't tarry outside the building too long. Oh, and you can take your regular packs that you brought for the trip with you. You never know when you might need a change of clothes!" he beamed.
There was a moment of silence and someone in the back of the class imitated a cricket chirp. Several people laughed nervously. The culprit, Shinji Mimura, just smiled innocently. Kamon frowned at this, then opened up his briefcase, pulling out an official class roster.
"Boy #1, Yoshio Akamatsu," he called out, and with that, the game began.
Mayumi Tendo watched quietly as Yoshio stood, trembling with fear. Yoshio, the kid who wouldn't even hurt a fly, being thrust into a game like this? The thought of it made her ill. He grabbed one of the black bags from the top of the cart and made his way hesitantly to the open door. He paused there, turning to look at his fellow classmates. For a second his eyes seemed to flicker crazily in his head, and Mayumi was reminded of a dog she had as a kid. It had been hit by a car, and Mayumi had found it as she was coming home from school. Crying, she had held it until it died. Its eyes had looked like Yoshio's, full of stupid terror. Shuddering, she brushed away the bad memory.
And so they had each left one-by-one. After Yoshio had been the strange, nerdy girl, Mizuho. Then Keita, then class president Yukie, who had left stiffly, giving Kamon a look of undisguised loathing as she walked out the door. As Girl #4, Sakura Ogawa left, Mayumi saw her catch the eyes of her boyfriend, Kazuhiko Yamamoto. She wiped away her tears, pointed up toward the ceiling, and he nodded in response. What had all that been about? Similarly, Kazuo Kiriyama's gang all looked pretty smug as they left. They're going to meet up, I imagine, she thought grimly, hoping she would be able to meet up with Izumi. She watched as the flamboyant Sho Tsukioka departed, and a minute later she heard the name she had been dreading.
"Girl #14, Mayumi Tendo!" Kamon intoned.
This is it. Stay cool, girl. You are not going to cry in front of all these people, she instructed herself, quickly standing, grabbing her trip pack, and then taking one of the black bags from the cart. Its weight was reassuring. Slinging it over one shoulder, she could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, but she did not return their looks. Without a word she stepped through the door and into the game.
The hallway was dim, but she couldn't afford to wait until her eyes adjusted. The next person out would be Shuya Nanahara, right? He was a cool enough guy, but in the end he was a guy, and she didn't trust the boys in a game like this. And he did try to attack Kamon, so what was to say he wouldn't do the same to her? She made her way down the hallway, past rows of open classroom doors. They stared at her like dark eyes, prompting her to walk even faster. Ahead of her, moonlight shone through the glass double-doors that led outside, and as she reached them she paused. "The game will begin as soon as you leave," Kamon had said. Am I ready? Before she could answer herself, she pushed open the glass door and stepped outside.
She didn't know what she was expecting (The previous twenty-seven students to be standing there armed with spears to attack her? Ha ha.) but the area in front of the school seemed to be entirely devoid of life. The school was surrounded by forest on all sides but the front, where there was a large clearing and a road leading off into the darkness. The front steps of the school were covered by a wooden awning, and as she descended the stairs and stepped out onto the grass, the bright moonlight played over her face.
She had always been a very pretty girl, and so of course she attracted a decent amount of attention from boys (all of which she blatantly ignored). This, combined with her hair (always worn in a rather severe French braid), gave her a reputation as being somewhat cold and standoffish. Her only close friend was Izumi, really, though she was somewhat friendly with Yukie and that group.
She had vaguely been hoping that Izumi would be out here waiting for her. Kinda stupid, huh? she sighed. Still, she needed to get moving before the next person came out. She readjusted her bags and began to walk quickly toward the tree line when---
THWOK!
Something silver and metallic flew past her face, so close she felt the wind from it across her cheek, and planted itself in the ground in front of her. In the moonlight she could see four tiny "wings" protruding from the back of the metal shaft. It was an arrow.
Mayumi turned quickly, gasping as she saw…
Boy #1, Yoshio Akamatsu stood atop the wooden awning covering the front steps, a crossbow in one hand and a silver arrow in the other as he attempted to reload his weapon.